Moderna Working on , Vaccine Booster That Targets, the Omicron Variant.
The Associated Press reports that Moderna
is developing an updated COVID-19 booster that
offers protection against the omicron variant.
On April 19, the pharmaceutical company
released data suggesting that work on
the updated booster was making progress.
Prior to the emergence of omicron, Moderna
had been developing a booster with added
protection against the beta variant of coronavirus.
According to the company, people who received
that specific booster produced more antibodies
capable of fighting a number of variants.
AP reports that the omicron variant is able
to more easily slip past the immune system's
defenses than the original coronavirus.
According to health officials, distributing
boosters every few months does not present
a practical solution to the mutating virus.
As a result, Moderna and its rival Pfizer are testing "bivalent" shots which mixes each company's original vaccine with an updated omicron version. .
As a result, Moderna and its rival Pfizer are testing "bivalent" shots which mixes each company's original vaccine with an updated omicron version. .
Moderna's bivalent shot
reportedly includes 32 variant
mutations of the coronavirus.
Studies on the new bivalent shots are currently underway in the United States and Britain. .
Results from the studies are expected by late June